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Monday, May 2, 2011

Motivational Monday

Okay yall... I have an obsession. And you all are gonna die laughing at me, but I'm 100% cool with that because I've caught hell about this for years. (Cough- Woodland girls) So one thing I have yet to mention about myself is that I literally have to work out 6 days a week. Let me also quantify that statement by saying, I AM NOT one of those hyper obsessive types that counts calories or have my workouts consist of 10 mile runs & 800000 squats. Believe me, I'd want to slap myself if I partook in either of those actions. When I say I have to work out, I mean that if I don't, I turn into a raging nutcase. My Mom likes to refer to my workouts as my "natural antidepressant," whereas if I haven't gotten in some kind of cardio, I get rather bitchy edgy. However, one problem I consistently run into is that I get super bored with my workouts at the gym. Listen, I can only watch so many Friends episodes while running on the treadmill until I want to hit Rachel in the face & ask her about her sanity w/ her relationship with Ross. (It still kills me she ultimately chose Ross. I mean, really? What a tool.) I also get mildly annoyed with the Food Network being one of the pre-set channels at LAC. A huge tv at a gym featuring Paula Deen cooking her butter-infused delectables makes about as much sense as Oprah writing a book about successful dieting.

The concept is just plain wrong. As seen in previous posts, my attention span lasts for about 5 seconds, so sticking with monotonous routine just doesn't work for me. I do average about 2-3 days per week at the gym, but I never do the same thing when I'm there. I alternate between running intervals on the treadmill, elliptical workouts, weight training, or distance running. I find if I plan out what I'm going to do before I go, I will dread it immensely & not want to do it. Instead, I just do what I feel like when I get there, and I never leave home without my trusty iPhone. Contrary to popular belief, I actually do relish in my quiet time while I'm working out, so no, I don't use my phone to chat/kill time during my workout. Shocking, right? Instead, I use it to watch Netflix (ohhh, how I love thee) & escape life for a bit. Okay, aaaand I use it so I dont have to be tortured by whatever Paula D is frying up on the big screen (Seriously, LAC, can we switch the pre-set food network channel to some other quality programming? Like Bravo for instance? Just throwing it out there.)
Sooo- what do I do on days I don't go to the gym? Well, friends, let me introduce you to my obsession/workout buddy/saving grace....aka Exercise TV.

If you have cable, this little free-spot function gives you the ability to choose & watch just about any workout video available on the market... FOR FREEEE (Hints its Free-Spot Placement). It has every workout option from Jillian Michaels' shred to Pure Barre to Kim Kardashian's buns workout (So okay- I have serious doubts about how hard of a workout that is, but I bet her outfit is to die for) to power walking w/ Leslie Sansone. Because lets be honest, there are some days where my motivation level is about a -28, and the thought of getting up from the couch, changing into workout clothes, driving to the gym, & finding a preferable machine is just too overwhelming to handle. So, okay confession: I'm also hugely guilty of not wanting to go to the gym when its raining, or snowing, or actually, during precipitation of any kind- I couldve had the best day on earth, but if its raining, I refuse to leave my house once I get home. Some call it laziness, I call it self preservation. I mean, I might melt out there. Anyways, on those days, Exercise TV is my best friend. Now, before you go Judge Judy on me, trust me when I say that there ARE in fact challenging workouts on this bad boy & this is nothing to scoff at. *Word to the wise: any video with the words "boot camp," "body blast," or "shred" are to be taken very seriously. They mean every word of those descriptions. Take it from someone who got a little bit cocky, and ended up having to quit the workout early because they thought they were going to die. CoughCoughKEVINCoughCough. In his defense, he made the mistake of starting with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Level 3 without every having done circuit training before.

Talk about quality entertainment- you've never truly lived until you've seen a grown man yelling obscenities, like "HOOKER- HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF?" at a woman trainer on TV. Priceless.
I know some of the workouts aren't as challenging as some of the other ones, but I can promise you 2 things. #1) You will definitely work up quite a sweat if you challenge yourself by choosing moderate-hard workouts and #2) You will LOVE the option of doing your whole workout from your living room. I mean, whats not to like about having the ability of checking on dinner while you burn off some calories? LOVE. IT. Sooo, in closing, I hope I gave yall some motivation to get in your Monday workout, regardless of location. As for me? Don't worry, come 4:30, I'll be sweating my life away in our living room, while screaming at Jillian Michaels for making me work so dang hard for my summer bikini bod :) Mmmmkay, thats it for now.. XOXO- Caroline**INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET TO EXERCISE TV**
1- PRESS ON DEMAND BUTTON
2) SELECT FREE SPOT A-Z
3) SELECT STANDARD DEF
4) THUMB DOWNWARD & SELECT EXERCISE TV
5) SELECT WORKOUT OPTION (Via Abs, walking, yoga, etc) & ENJOY YOUR WORKOUT
**These are Insight specific, but all cable/dish networks utilize a similar system**

Oh girl, when I read this I about died... lets just say Ken took part in Jillian Michaels " No More Trouble Zones" with me this weekend.... his lunges aren't quite up to par, but the boy gave a good effort... ha ha HA! Love This!

Um when I lived in a pretty sketchy area and was afraid to go for runs after 4 pm I TOTALLY did exercise TV. And you feel so good afterward! There are some pretty silly ones on their but there were quite a few times that I was screaming Jillian Michael's Name in agony/praise in my lopsided apartment. (I told you it was a sketchy neighborhood!) Sometimes after doing Jillian, I liked searching for a yoga workout and stretching out that way. HEAVEN!

This DVD, along with 30 Day Shred and Boost Metabolism, is hard. But after every workout I feel AMAZING. Yes, I'm exhausted, sweaty, and my muscles are aching and trembling, but I feel energized and sharper mentally. I exercise five days a week, alternating workout videos, and take the weekends "off", during which I find I now have more energy to do everything from working in the garden to running around theme parks. I'm actually sleeping better too.

About Me

Happy as a clam living in the beautiful bluegrass state. Married to one (usually unintentionally) hilarious husband. Momma to one handsome little boy named Brooks. Fur momma to 2 dogs & 2 cats, oh my :) Lover of all things Kentucky- horses, bourbon, and obviously, UK Sports :) A few other tidbits- My family is my everything- its just a bonus that they're all crazy ridiculous & highly entertaining :) I have a fantastic group of friends that I'm mildly obsessed with. I adore my job, but at the end of the day, I always get excited to come home to my sweet boys. If you want to know any other details, feel free to ask.